Nikolai Alexandrovich Bugrov (1837, 1911), the younger representative of a well-known family of Nizhny Novgorod merchants of the Old Believers, descended from the peasant class of the Semenovsky district, was a grain industrialist, financier, property owner, philanthropist, and major benefactor of Nizhny Novgorod province. He introduced the roller milling method, modernizing flour production. Since 1896, he was allowed to supply bread for the Russian army. To transport bread along the Volga, Bugrov maintained a whole fleet of barges and steamships. His mills, unlike others of the time, were equipped with steam engines instead of water drives, which increased productivity. They processed legumes and grains, and finished flour could be purchased at the production site, transshipment points in Nizhny Novgorod, and in the villages of the province: Pavlovo, Vorsma, and Bogorodsk. Maxim Gorky dedicated a biographical essay to Nikolai Bugrov, and Joseph Stalin noted his managerial abilities. The management of the fleet and mills on the Volga was carried out by Nikolai Alexandrovich himself, as well as his manager and accountant, who earned 30,000 rubles a year and had the right to use the merchant's stable.

The Bugrov family lived in a patriarchal environment, where innovations were perceived with caution, and traditions were considered the foundation of life. According to local stories, Nikolai Bugrov was a large and authoritative man. In his youth, he married three times, but by the age of forty, he had lost all his wives, and three of his children died in infancy. After that, he did not remarry, although his interest in women did not fade, which gave rise to many legends and stories.

N.A. Bugrov was actively involved in charity, investing funds in the construction of almshouses and shelters. Throughout his life, he distributed about 10 million rubles in alms. He was the largest property owner in Nizhny Novgorod and invested significant funds in urban construction, part of the income from which went to maintain the shelter built by his father. In addition, Bugrov completed the construction of the 'Widow's House,' financed the construction of the Volga-Kama Bank building and the City Duma building on Blagoveshchenskaya Square. The profits from his enterprise were distributed as follows: 45% for the needs of the city, 45% for the development of the enterprise, and 10% for personal expenses. His funds were used to create the first central sewage system and water supply.

Nikolai Alexandrovich's lifestyle was modest. The walls of his house were decorated with wallpaper featuring numerous religious paintings. Common dishes included cabbage soup and porridge, and during fasting, peas. The merchant's clothing remained unchanged in winter and summer: a caftan, high-top goat leather boots, and a cap.